Deep Down
by Chizaya
Summary: Lucy is gone and the whole guild felt the guilt, especially Natsu. One day, a guest comes to visit the Guild, holding a surprising secret and an untold tragedy.
1. Prologue

Her brown eyes look out from the cliff to the sunset on the ocean she cried silently, smiling to her self sadly.

She heard them calling out her name, slowly turning to face them.

Happy, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Levy, Gajeel and the leader of the pack, Natsu.

" Luce!" _Natsu... _

"Lucy, We're sorry!" _Erza..._

"Lu-chan!" _Levy..._

"Bunny Girl!" _Gajeel..._

"Lucy!" _Happy, Wendy..._

"Lucy, Don't!" _Gray..._

_Sorry, everyone... _ She thought as she smiled. She leaned back, slowly falling towards the ocean. Natsu got there, quickly reach out his hand to her, only for her to pull her hand away. She mouthed her words, only meant to him.

_I love you, Natsu..._

She continued smiling, as Natsu watched in sadness and shock as the ocean swallowed her whole. He got on his knees, dropping his head foward, allowing the events that just took place, flow into his mind.

He roared into the sky, the name of the one he loved most...

"LLLLUUUUCCCCYYYY!"

She was gone...


	2. Chapter 1 New Life New Mission

Chp.1 the New Life and new mission

"How many years have passed since that happened?" questioned a young but wise red haired woman.

"It seems like so much years have passed. Like it has been 20 years, but it only happened about 6 years ago," replied the shirtless black haired man. He was leaning on the wall of his guild, the FairyTail guild.

"Yes… And that's the day he also… died…" She clenched her fist, as she looked at the ground.

"Erza! Gray!" yelled an energetic pink haired man, as he ran to them. He wore the biggest grin upon his face as he approached them.

"Guys, let's go on a mission!" He continued to grin. Erza and Gray could only look at him with a sad smile.

"Sorry, Natsu, Today we can't go. Me and Gray have some business to attend to, okay? Go on a mission with Happy or Lisanna," Erza said, as she patted his head. Natsu only pouted.

"Happy is hanging out with Charlie and Lisanna is helping Mirajane with the bar." Natsu replied.

"Sorry, Natsu… We just can't today, okay?" Gray said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Okay."

Erza and Gray watched Natsu as he disappeared into the guild. They sighed.

"You still call him by his name, Gray. When will you two start fighting and arguing again?"

"As long as he is like this? …Probably never again. This Natsu isn't the Natsu I want to beat to pulp… This Natsu is the one who has lost everything… and the old Natsu will never return to us…" Gray said, as his bangs covered his eyes. Erza could only watch. She and Gray have been together in the rut. They are the only few who still had the trouble of moving on. Lucy had left, killing herself in the ocean. The Natsu they missed had gone into a rage, destroying everything in his path. He even tried to kill himself as well. In the end, they had to go to a wizard who specialized in manipulating memories. They still remembered the last things he said before he became the newer Natsu.

_Flashback_

"_Please! Don't take her away from me! Erza! Gray! I want to be with Lucy! I don't want to forget! Make them stop!" he yelled as he was restrained. It took ten men to get him down and they gave him a sedative to calm down and go to sleep._

_Lisanna and even Erza cried at the scene._

"_Please...I love her…" was the last thing he said before the operation began._

_Flashback ends_

When Natsu returned, he was very confused. They had implanted memories that Lucy was Lisanna. They felt this would be okay, but even when Natsu tried to confess his love to Lisanna, he was only pitied. Lisanna had to turn him down gently, which he was fine with. In the end, Natsu seemed to get over her pretty quickly. As the years grew, Natsu dated random girls in the town, but in the end broke them off, feeling awful about what he was doing and stop after the second year. Things really had changed.

They both left the guild, heading to the flower shop and getting a banquet of flowers, both headed to the cliff.

Back at the guild, Natsu sat at the bar, spaced out as he remembered a weird dream he had. There was a beautiful blonde haired girl, with lovely brown eyes. She smiled at him. She said his name and he felt his heart throb. To Natsu, she was someone he never met, but he loved her. He tried many times to find this person, but he didn't know her name. And something told him that he couldn't ask his nakama about it, or they think he was crazy. He decided he'd go on a mission on his own. He got off the bar and headed to the mission board, and began to search. One thing that caught his eyes was about a young girl who had needed to be sent back to her town which happened to be here. She was a young girl who was running an errand for her mother but didn't have someone to take her back to her hometown. She was looking for male wizard, who wouldn't have a problem taking her back to her home. Natsu decide he'd help her, even though the pay wasn't as good. He began his journey as soon as he finished packing, saying his good byes and showed Mira Jane on which mission, he'd part take.

"Be careful Natsu!" smiled Lisanna.

He grinned and walked off, he walk to the train station. He felt queasy about going on the train, but he knew he had to. He sat there, kind of wishing that he had friends to help him pass the time. Feeling his train sickness coming, he decided it was best to try and take a nap. It'd take him a awhile to get to the Hargeon.

When he woke, the train just began to arrive to Hargeon. Once the train completely stopped, he quickly got out of the train, remembering that it was quick to leave again. He remembered that he had been in Hargeon before with Happy. He remembered that he had gotten stuck in the train because he felt sick and had to ride it down to the next stop before he was able to return. He slightly chuckled at the memory. He remembered that this is where he ran into Lisanna again, finding out that she was still alive, but deep down inside, he knew that it was something different.

He noticed a magic shop and decided to go on in and check it out. There was an old man attending the customers while there was a little girl around the corner putting things on the same bottom selves.

"Ah! Welcome young man! How may I help you?" asked the old man as he left the customers to have a look around the store.

Natsu stared blankly, "I just felt compelled to walk into your store, sir."

The old man only smiled, "Ah. By any chance are you here for a mission?" The old man questioned.

Natsu nodded in response, "How did you know?"

"Well not many wizards come out here anymore, even though it's a port. But you see, my little helper's mother had requested that a wizard take her daughter back home. So I assume you may be on that mission correct?"

Natsu could only nod. It was a weird knowing that he had accidently met up with the person he had to escort. The man called the little girl over and she quickly came to his side.

_She's really short,_ Natsu had noted.

The young girl had blonde hair and charcoal colored eyes. Her skin had a peachy color to it. Her bangs rounded her face, with the side long, passing her jaw, but her hair in the back was shorter and a bit spikey. She had a small blush across her face.

"This is Layla Leonardo. She came to visit a sick family member but her mother wasn't able to. I brought her with me, but I can't return back with her. Is it possible for you to escort her back to Magnolia?"

"Sure, that's why I came" Natsu grinned. He got on his knees becoming eye level with Layla and he stuck out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Layla. I'm Natsu Dragneel."

Layla quietly shook his hand and nodded.

"She can't speak, I'm afraid. She had an accident with a dragon, so her mother tells me."

"A dragon?! Was it a red fire dragon?!" Natsu began to become excited.

"I'm afraid I don't know much of the details, but once you return her back home, perhaps you can ask her mother.


	3. Chapter 2 Returing Home

Chp. 2

The next day, Natsu could only stare at the young blond child. She quietly continued to look ahead. They soon arrived to the train station and stayed silent until the train arrived. Once the train began board, Layla climbed in with Natsu behind her. Layla sat near the window and Natsu sat next to her.

Natsu was lost in thought when he suddenly felt a tug on his vest. Eyes meet Layla's, and he took a note that the eyes were not coal black but a dark blue that seemed familiar to him. Layla point to his hand, and he held it out to her. She place little white pills into his hand. He gave her a questioning look. She pulled out a small note pad and pen and began to write. Once she was done she showed it to Natsu.

_Natsu-san, my mother said to give these pills to the person who is to escort me. She said that they help with motion sickness. _

Natsu blinked a couple of times and then began to smile.

"Thanks, Layla." He grinned as he plopped them into his mouth. Layla smiled back and nodded.

Soon the train left Hargeon and headed to Magnolia. The train ride was quiet, and Natsu hated it. He began to tap his feet, making a small beat. Layla fell asleep not too long ago. Natsu began to daydream as he remembered that weird dream he had.

"_Natsu! Look! I've got the FairyTail Mark!" She showed the back of her right hand._

Natsu sighed. _Why can't I remember your name… But why is it that I'm too afraid to ask about you to the rest of the guild… Why?_

Soon Natsu fell asleep trying to recall the name of the girl he knew in his heart was somehow precious to him.

_Where am I?_

_Why is it so cooled?_

_**My dear, you are home. Safe and sound.**_

_Home?_

_**Yes, dear. Welcome home.**_

_Yes… I am home… where I can no longer be harmed… or betrayed…_

"So Natsu took a mission?" Happy asked Lisanna.

"Yep, he left a yesterday. It's a simple mission. It was nothing too big, which actually surprised me." Lisanna smiled as she was drying off some glasses.

"But… Today is the anniversary of… her death…" Happy's face saddened. He was one of the most hurt after Natsu. He missed flying into her chest, and having her hug him back. He missed her calling him stupid cat.

"It is, but remember, he doesn't actually remember her or her death…" Lisanna commented sadly.

"It was for the best…" MiraJane said as she walked. She was wearing all black and carried a small banquet or flowers. "I'm heading out to the grave. Erza and Gray got flowers yesterday and already placed them at the cross. I need to go placed the ones master got her." She smiled sadly.

Lisanna nodded and MiraJane headed out of the door, with the guild doors closing slowly behind her.

Happy sat on the counter, silently.

"Cheer up, Happy. Natsu should be here soon. The mission is only an escort mission."

Natsu felt a small tug, causing him to wake up from his dreams. Dark Blue eyes started right into his charcoal ones.

"GRAY?!" He shouted. Then he took another look. It was Layla. She had her ears covered when he yelled suddenly.

"Oh… Sorry Layla… You know, You have a friends of mine's eyes. Could you be related to him?"

Layla smiled, and headed off the train. Natsu yelled at her to come back, following her. Layla Silently giggled. She was happy, she was able to go see her mom again, and she would be able to return to normal.

_Why is it so cool?_

_**Because, my dear, you were left and abandon. It's a cruel place out there.**_

_... I wasn't loved... Nor was I needed…_

_**That's right, my dear. You, Lucy, have been left to suffer. All Alone.**_

Natsu followed Layla to a small little house, outside of the town. Natsu noticed that the small house was old and plants had surrounded it, as if it had been there for years, without anyone living or taking care of it. Layla walked up to the door and knocked 4 times quickly, and the last too slowly.

A few seconds later, a young woman opened the door. She had blonde hair, similar to the young girl, and she had brown eyes. Her hair was in a braid and she wore a cap over peasant style clothing.

" Ah! Layla! Thank god, you've returned." The woman smilied.

The young girl nodded and hugged to woman. The lady hugged back and smiled at Natsu.

"Thank you, Natsu-san." She smilied.

"Oh... uhh. You are welcome." He grinned.

"Please come in for tea." She made room for him to be able to walk in.

"Sure…" then he took note of something.

"How do you know my name...?"


End file.
